Prodigy Yamal:

Messi comparisons, Mbappe jersey and a serenade

Lamine Yamal's first meeting with superstar Lionel Messi

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The exceptional Spanish soccer talent Lamine Yamal thinks nothing of comparisons with eight-time world footballer Lionel Messi. However, he gladly accepts a jersey from Kylian Mbappe and a birthday serenade from his team-mates.

"I try to be Lamine. At the end of the day, it doesn't help you to compare yourself to the best player in history because nobody will ever be like him," Yamal, who celebrates his 17th birthday this Saturday, told the Spanish sports newspaper "Marca" about the Messi comparisons. He will face England with Spain in the European Championship final on Sunday (9pm).

"Try to be myself"
With his goal in the semi-final against France (2:1), Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in European Championship history. He is repeatedly compared to Argentina's world champion Messi, who, like him, grew up at FC Barcelona. "I try to be myself so that people recognize me as Lamine Yamal. That's all," said the teenager about possible parallels. A photo has been circulating on the internet in recent days showing the then 20-year-old Messi bathing Yamal, who was just a few months old. It was taken in 2007 for a charity calendar.

The 20-year-old Messi with Lamine Yamal

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Yamal also reported on his encounter with French superstar Kylian Mbappe. The 25-year-old asked for his kit after the semi-final. "If Mbappe asks me for it, he gets it. No problem." The Spaniard described the final against England in Berlin's Olympic Stadium as a "dream final. Everyone wants to play games like this. Now we just want the trophy to come to Spain." It would be the greatest gift one day after his 17th birthday.

Before that, however, Yamal was to receive a serenade and a birthday cake from his team-mates. This was announced by his attacking partner Dani Olmo on Friday. Yamal's father Mounir Nasraoui also plans to travel from Rocafonda, a district of Mataro a good 30 km north-east of Barcelona, to celebrate his famous son's birthday. Lamine Yamal was born there on July 13, 2007, his contract with Barca runs until the end of June 2026 and is said to include an exit clause, with a fixed transfer fee of one billion euros being rumored.

"Works for the team"
"He's an amazing footballer," Olmo said of Yamal. "Not many players in history have achieved what he did at the age of 16." The most important thing, however, is Yamal's mentality, his way of thinking. "He's calm, he's a good lad. He works for the team," said the RB Leipzig professional, who is almost ten years older. "Everything that comes will be good for him and good for us."